Patent GB-824515-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to vending machines
IPC: G07F5/26
Filed: 1957-12-02
Abstract: 824,515. Coin-freed vending apparatus. NATIONAL VENDORS Inc. Dec. 2, 1957 [Dec. 20, 1956], No. 37503/57. Class 27 The invention relates to an improvement on the coin-actuated apparatus described in Specification 799,720 in that the totalizer unit is operated solely by the weight of a coin or coins, the function of the totalizer unit being, as in the prior Specification, to release one or more latches which lock the dispensing mechanism after totalling the value of the coins deposited in the machine for the operation thereof. The apparatus comprises one or more coinshoots, an indexing member operatively connected to means for controlling purchaser operation of the dispensing mechanism, a member engaged by a coin or coins falling in the shoot or shoots and driving the member downwards a predetermined distance and released from the coin at the end of that distance, the member returning to its original position when the coin disengages therefrom, and means operated by the coin-driven member during its return for driving the indexing member. The latches L-1, L-2 and L-3, Fig. 4 (not shown), for locking the purchaser-operated dispensing mechanism correspond generally with those of the above Specificaton, the arms 353 and 355 Fig. 1, corresponding to arms 159 and 161 of the prior Specification. The apparatus is set up for vending 25, 30 and 35 cent items, a stop-disc assembly 123, Figs. 8 and 12 being set in such angular position relative to a ratchet 53 that, with the latter in the zero position, five steps of the ratchet are required to rotate the disc assembly to a position where the shoulder S-1 is over the upper end of a lever 171,' Fig. 8, six steps to bring the shoulder S-2 above the upper end of a lever 183, and seven steps to bring the shoulder S-3 over the upper end of a lever 195. A nickel fed into the coin slot passes through a coin selector (not shown) to the upper end of the nickel shoot NC, Fig. 3 and engages a cranked wire arm 93 and moves the arm downwards through an arc against a biasing spring 99, Fig. 10, the coin riding off the linger 97 at the end of its travel and falling into a coin hopper 271, Fig. 13. During the downward movement of the arm 97, a disc 73 is rotated clockwise, Figs. 3 and 10, a driving pawl 79 moving over one ratchet tooth 55 without rotating the ratchet 53 or the stop-disc assembly 123 to which it is coupled, these being held against rotation by a holding pawl 83. On the return upward swing of the arm 93, the ratchet and stop-disc move together counter-clockwise one tooth and are held by pawls 79 and 83 against the action of the ratchet return spring. Movement beyond this interval is prevented by engagement of the arm 93 with a pin 101 on 'the arm 91 of the pawl 83. Further nickels rotate the ratchet and stop disc one further step for each nickel. Similarly, dimes or quarters passed through the coin selector are directed to the appropriate coin shoot DC or QC, a dime effecting the advance (counter-clockwise movement) of the ratchet and stop disc by two steps and a quarter by five steps, the arcs of movement being respectively twice and five times the length of the arc traversed by the arm 93 under the weight of a nickel. If a purchaser deposits 25 cents by any combination of the three coinage denominations the ratchet and stop-disc will have been rotated five steps from the zero position shown in Fig. 3 to the 25 cent position and latched at that position, the shoulder S-1 then being above the upper end of lever 171, Fig. 3. If the 25 cent rod is then pulled outwards, a clockwise rotation is given to a shaft 253 and a crank arm 255, and a lever 243 is rotated clockwise from the position shown in Fig. 1, moving a bar 225 to the right. A pawl 233 on the bar 225 moves another adjacent bar 207 to the right until it is disengaged from a roller 235 by a cam edge 237 engaging with a roller 239 so that the bar 207 is retracted by a spring 213, but as the bar 207 moves to the right it acts through springs 219, 222, 223 to bias links 181, 187, 199 to the right thereby tending to swing levers 171, 193, 175 Fig. 8, in a counter-clockwise direction about a pivot-pin 173. As the shoulders S-1 and S-3 on discs 127, 129 are below the upper ends of levers 183 and 195 the discs block this movement, the springs 222, 223 yielding to permit the bar 207 its full stroke, but lever 171 is free to swing counterclockwise until the upper end engages the notch 132 of the disc 125. The lever 171 is accordingly swung counter-clockwise by the link 181 to move a bar 137, Fig. 3, sufficiently to the right to release the latch L-1 so that the 25 rod of the machine may be pulled out fully and then returned to its retracted position to dispense a 25 cent item. When the bar 207 snaps back to the left, levers 171, 183 and 193 return clockwise to their retracted positions, clear of the stop-disc assembly 123, the return being effected by a finger 217 on the bar 207 engaging with tangs 181<SP>1</SP>, 187<SP>1</SP> and 199<SP>1</SP>, Fig. 8. The return of the lever 171 to its retracted position also returns the bar 137 to release the latch L-1 for return to its locking position. During movement of the bar 225 to the right a stud 241 engages the lower end of the lever 117 and moves it counter-clockwise from the retracted position shown in Fig. 3. On the retraction of the bar 207 the lever 117 moves clockwise under the influence of the spring 120, to actuate a re-set lever 103, Fig. 3, to release the driving pawl, 79 and holding pawl 83 to allow the ratchet and stop-disc assembly to return to the zero position. During clockwise rotation of the crank arm 255 a cam-edge 315, Fig. 1, at the lower end, bearing on a roller 313 causes a lever 309 to swing downwards to release the right hand hopper gate 279, Fig. 13, and so to spill the coins into the shoot 301 and thence to the money box 302. During its downward movement the lever 309 releases a lock-out lever 319 for movement to a position in which a pin 321 blocks the left hand hopper gate 277 to prevent coin-return if the coin return bar 329 is operated. If coins to a value less than 25 cents are deposited the stop-disc is rotated through less than the five steps necessary to bring the shoulder S-1 to a position above the upper end of the lever 717 which is therefore locked against therelease of latch L-1. When coins to the value of 30 cents are deposited the stop-disc assembly will rotate through six steps from its zero position to a position where the shoulders S-1 end S-2 are above the upper ends of levers 171, 183 but the movement of the lever 189 is blocked. Latches L-1 and L-2 are accordingly released by the movement of bars 137 and 139 (Fig. 3). Similarly when a 35 cent deposit is made shoulders S-1, S-2 and S-3 are above the levers 171, 183 and 189 as the stop-disc is rotated through seven steps and Tatches L-1, L-2, and L-3 are released by bars 137, 139 and. 141 respectively. Coin return is effected by pushing down the coin return bar 329 from the position shown in Fig. 1. Deposited coins will have passed through the totalizer unit, rotating the ratchet and stop-disc assembly, and will have dropped into the hopper 271 of the lower coin unit 261, Fig. 13. Downward movement of the coin return bar 329 causes the cam edge 341, Fig. 1, to swing the lever 345 clockwise from the position shown in Fig. 3 to move a lever 117 counterclockwise to actuate the re-set lever 103, as previously described. A stud at the lower end of the bar 329, pushes down the left-hand gate-release bar 291, Fig. 13, to release the hopper gate 277 to spill the coins for return via shoot 303. The apparatus may be converted to different three-price actuation by changing the position of the stop-disc assembly relative to the ratchet e.g. to convert to a 20, 25, 30 cent range the assembly 125 is re-positioned one step in a clockwise direction so that a four-step advance is required to bring shoulder S-1 over the upper end. of the lever 171. If other than 5 cent adjustments are required the stop discs may be individually adjustable relative to each other as would be required for a penny, sixpence and shilling range.